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Sumter County, AL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Sumter County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Sumter County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 115 Marshall Street, Livingston, AL 35470 |
| Mailing address | PO Box 1040, Livingston, AL 35470 |
| Phone | (205) 652-7281 |
| Fax | (205) 652-6206 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Filing fee | No local probate fee total is published. Expect a statutory base under (Ala. Code § 12-19-90) plus any local-law charges, and call the probate office for the current total before filing. |
| Local forms | Sumter County does not publish local estate petition forms on its probate page. Call the probate office before preparing a packet. |
| E-filing status | No electronic filing details are published for estate petitions. Call the probate office to ask what delivery methods it accepts. |
| Case search | The Sumter County Judge of Probate online portal at https://www.ingprobate.com/Sumter_Probate/ offers a probate case lookup and a land lookup. Coverage dates are not listed on the portal landing page. |
| Remote appearance | Set by the Sumter County Probate Court. Ask the probate office when a hearing is scheduled. |
| Website | http://sumtercountyal.com/judge-of-probate/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Livingston, make a practical inventory of what the person owned, what was owed, and what is already set up to pass outside probate. Bank accounts, vehicles, land, insurance, retirement accounts, debts, and a co-owned home can point to different estate settlement steps.
Sunset helps families organize that picture before a petition is prepared. Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery can help identify accounts and balances so you know whether Sumter County Probate Court involvement is needed and what to bring to the probate office.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Sumter County Probate Court at the Sumter County Courthouse in Livingston serves Sumter County. No second probate filing location is published for Sumter County.
Alabama venue for probating a will is generally the probate court of the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. For a decedent who lived outside Alabama, venue may be in an Alabama county where the decedent left assets (Ala. Code § 43-8-162).
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the estate path. Gather the original will if there is one, death certificate, asset list, debt list, names and addresses of interested people, and any documents showing how accounts or property are titled.
- Call the Sumter County Probate Office at (205) 652-7281 before filing. Sumter County does not publish a local estate form packet or a local fee total, so ask what petition, copies, payment method, and supporting documents the office wants.
- File the petition in the Sumter County Probate Office at the courthouse in Livingston, or ask the office whether another delivery method is accepted. If there is a will, the original will should be delivered for probate.
- Pay the filing charges quoted by the probate office. Alabama probate fees include a statutory base under (Ala. Code § 12-19-90) and may include local-law charges.
- The probate judge reviews the petition and any will. If more information, notice, bond, or a hearing is needed, the probate office will give the next instruction.
- Ask about hearing attendance when the hearing is set. Sumter County does not publish a standing phone or video appearance rule for estate hearings.
- If the court grants authority, the executor receives letters testamentary or the administrator receives letters of administration. Those documents allow the personal representative to work with banks, buyers, creditors, and other institutions.
- Publish and give creditor notice as required. Alabama's nonclaim rule generally bars claims not presented within six months, with additional actual-notice protections for known or reasonably ascertainable creditors (Ala. Code § 43-2-350).
- Administer the estate, collect assets, pay valid expenses and claims in the required order, keep records, and return to the probate court for settlement or closing steps when the estate is ready.
- If a dispute requires relief the probate court cannot decide, an interested party may seek removal of an already-open administration to the circuit court under (Ala. Code § 12-11-41). The estate still starts in the probate court.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Sumter County
Sumter County does not publish local estate petition forms, cover sheets, or estate checklists on its probate page. Before you prepare a filing, call the Sumter County Probate Office and ask what documents it wants for a will probate, an administration without a will, or a local summary distribution filing.
If a will exists, plan around the original signed will. A copy is not a substitute for asking the probate office how the original should be delivered.
Local nuance
Sumter County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a filer |
|---|---|
| Single Livingston office | Sumter County probate filings route through the Sumter County Probate Office at 115 Marshall Street in Livingston. No second courthouse or satellite probate filing counter is published. |
| County online lookup | The Sumter County Judge of Probate online portal offers a probate case lookup and a land lookup. If the portal does not show the case or document you need, call the probate office because the portal landing page does not list coverage dates. |
| No published estate packet | Because Sumter County does not publish a local estate form packet on its probate page, call before filing to ask what petition, copies, payment, and supporting documents are required. |
Recent updates
| Change | What changed |
|---|---|
| Revised Alabama Small Estates Act | Act 2025-431 took effect October 1, 2025. The small-estate ceiling is now tied to the combined Article 6 allowances, and the current figure is $47,000 under (Ala. Code § 43-2-696.02), effective October 1, 2025. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Sumter County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by identifying how the home and accounts are titled. If assets need probate authority, call the Sumter County Probate Office about the filing packet and fee total, then file in Livingston. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize property information, and prepare the family for an efficient estate settlement conversation with the probate office or an attorney. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Call the Sumter County Probate Office before traveling to ask whether the estate may use Alabama summary distribution and what the office accepts for filing and hearing attendance. | Sunset helps gather account information, build a document checklist, and connect you with Alabama counsel if local filing or appearance questions are difficult to handle from out of state. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home is part of the probate estate, the personal representative will likely need court authority before a sale can be completed. Begin with the Sumter County Probate Office and use counsel if title, heirs, creditors, or sale authority are contested. | Sunset helps locate assets and debts, organize the sale-related paperwork, and connect the family with a local probate attorney when real property must be administered. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Sumter County Probate Office | Explains local filing logistics, office hours, payment instructions, and what the office needs with an estate petition. Staff cannot prepare legal documents or give legal advice. | 115 Marshall Street, Livingston, AL 35470. Mailing address PO Box 1040, Livingston, AL 35470. Phone (205) 652-7281. Fax (205) 652-6206. |
| Sumter County Judge of Probate online portal | Offers an online probate case lookup and land lookup for Sumter County. | https://www.ingprobate.com/Sumter_Probate/ |
| Legal Services Alabama | Statewide civil legal aid for low-income Alabamians, subject to eligibility and case-type priorities. The program lists civil cases only and does not advertise estate administration representation. | 866-456-4995, or 888-835-3505 in Spanish. Intake hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| AlabamaLegalHelp.org | Legal Services Alabama identifies this as its self-help and referral site. | https://www.alabamalegalhelp.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
A probate attorney is especially useful in Sumter County when the estate includes land, a home sale, heirs who disagree, missing heirs, creditor disputes, a will contest, questions about bond, or a possible move of an already-open administration to circuit court under (Ala. Code § 12-11-41). Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help families identify accounts, balances, and institutions that may need letters testamentary or letters of administration from the Sumter County Probate Court.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's information into an organized estate settlement packet so you know what to review, what to bring to the probate office, and what to ask before filing.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves Sumter County land, a sale, a contest, or court authority you are not comfortable handling alone, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Alabama probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand the next steps, and move through estate settlement without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Sumter County, Alabama?
File through the Sumter County Probate Office at the Sumter County Courthouse, 115 Marshall Street, Livingston, AL 35470. Call (205) 652-7281 before filing to confirm the current packet, fee total, and delivery options.
Does Sumter County publish probate forms online?
Sumter County does not publish local estate petition forms or an estate checklist on its probate page. Call the probate office before preparing a will probate, administration, or summary distribution filing.
Can I e-file a Sumter County estate petition?
No electronic filing details are published for estate petitions in Sumter County. The county's online portal is an online lookup portal, not a published estate petition filing system. Ask the probate office what filing methods it accepts.
How do I look up a Sumter County probate case online?
Use the Sumter County Judge of Probate online portal at https://www.ingprobate.com/Sumter_Probate/. The portal offers a probate case lookup and a land lookup. If you do not find what you need, call the probate office because the portal landing page does not list coverage dates.
What is the filing fee for probate in Sumter County?
Sumter County does not publish a local probate fee total on its probate page. Alabama fees include a statutory base under (Ala. Code § 12-19-90) plus any local-law charges, so call the probate office at (205) 652-7281 for the current total before filing.
Will I need a hearing in Sumter County Probate Court?
The need for a hearing depends on the petition, the will if there is one, notice issues, disputes, and what the probate judge requires. Sumter County does not publish regular estate hearing days or a filing-to-hearing window.
Can I attend a Sumter County probate hearing by phone or video?
Remote attendance is set by the Sumter County Probate Court for the particular matter. Ask the probate office about phone or video attendance when a hearing is scheduled.
Do I have to travel to Livingston to handle a Sumter County estate?
Not every step can be answered without the court's instructions. Call the Sumter County Probate Office to ask what can be submitted by mail or another approved method, whether a hearing will be set, and how the court handles attendance requests.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.